Blood Born

Chapter One

Chapter One:

Caitlyn climbed out of the carriage, immediately lifting a gloved hand to cover her nose. Her eyes cast a quick glance over the grimy streets, the gutters piled high with garbage and slime between the cracked stones of the road were exactly what she'd expected. And yet, as her skirts swooshed around her heels and she thanked the driver, a collection of butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

Finally, a real job. A real adventure!

The direct call from the council that had forced her to come to the disgusting and smelly town of Zain had caught both her, and especially her parents, off-guard. Why they had chosen her, a fairly new investigator to the Piltover Safety Unit, she wasn't sure, but was deeply grateful for it. There was nothing her mother could say to her leaving for Zaun. Cait knew in her heart, however, that - despite her mother being on the council - she wouldn't have voted for her own daughter to investigate a crime in Piltover, muchless their sister city, Zaun.

As the carriage rumbled away, Caitlyn gripped her free hand around her rifle strap that crossed her chest. The leather calmed her, knowing that if she needed it, her trusty rifle was by her side. Her gaze lifted from the streets to the collection of people nearby, gathered around a dusty alleyway. Their titering and gossiping wasn't something that Caitlyn loved, but it was a nice reminder of home.

Pushing through the crowd, she made her way toward the mix of enforcers and whatever the Zaunite version of police was. They didn't look like much more than a group of gang members. Just as she was about to cross into the crime scene, a stiff hand shot out. She bumped into the sudden barrier, turning her shocked expression to the enforcer who stopped her. Instead of eyes, she was met with a reflection of herself in the protective eyewear. She steeled her expression immediately once she saw how afraid she appeared.

"Authorized personnel only, ma'am. Please step back."

Caitlyn unlatched the pouch at her belt and held up her badge. "I am Caitlyn Kiramman. I've been sent by the council to investigate this crime."

After a moment to look over her identification and another moment to study her face - no doubt recognizing her due to her uppity mother - the enforcer pulled his arm back. "My apologies, Miss Kiramman." 

Caitlyn stowed her badge away, giving the enforcer a once over before continuing forward. There was an individual writing something down on a clipboard while another had a large camera, the flash going off every couple of seconds as they photographed the crime scene. Neither of them were close to the body, however. The only person close enough to the body to do any real examination was a pink-haired young woman. She was crouched next to the body, her elbows resting on her knees and her hands laced together. She had tattoos. Caitlyn could make out the art tracing along her neck and disappearing under her collared shirt. Instead of a dress, the pink-haired girl wore a pair of stained trousers and a creme button-down with leather straps. The sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, exposing her forearms. The tattoos from her neck must have continued, as the intricate gears and smoke on the back of her arms matched her neck. A gun hung from her hip, but the unworn leather holster told Caitlyn that this woman didn't use it often.

"Excuse me," Caitlyn started, "Are you the agent I'm supposed to meet up with?"

The pink-haired girl finally tore her gaze away from the body. Her eyes met Caitlyn's. They narrowed, tracing everything from Caitlyn's hair, to her rifle, to her dress, to her heeled boots. Caitlyn forced herself to stay still, to stay strong under such a scrutinizing gaze. With the amount of intensity that this woman used to analyze her, Caitlyn could get an idea as to why she had been put on this case.

"The name's Vi," she finally said. She looked away, her intense glare turning back to the body.

Caitlyn followed her gaze to the body on the ground. This had been the second victim in the last week, and it was just as horrifying as the last two. What had been assumed as a once-off murder by a very passionate killer had turned into a second victim. Its condition was worse than the first. And now, a third.